Medium
breast milk storage capacity: your baby might feed from both breasts, but not necessarily.
Small
breast milk storage capacity: you are providing enough breast milk to keep your baby full and happy (a baby consumes a standard 30 ounces of breast milk a day) but need to feed more frequently than other moms.
Even if you've nursed before, did you know that
your breast milk storage capacity might not be the same as before?
According to this infographic produced by Nancy MohrBacher, there are three
breast milk storage capacity classifications that cover the range of nursing mothers.
Her breast milk storage capacity will not change as time goes on, but the amount of milk she naturally produces is exactly the amount her baby needs for a healthy diet.
Although most women (without medical conditions that may inhibit milk production), make a similar amount of milk, women have different
breast milk storage capacities.
Research from the University of Western Australia also shows that although actual milk production doesn't vary widely over a 24 hour period, individual women have different
breast milk storage capacities.
Not exact matches
Storage capacity is not determined by
breast size, although
breast size can certainly limit the amount of
milk that can be stored.
A mother with a smaller
storage capacity, however, will need to nurse baby more often to satisfy baby's appetite and maintain
milk supply since her
breasts will become full (slowing production) more quickly.
Fluctuations in
milk supply throughout the day and
storage capacity of your
breasts will also impact the frequency and duration of feedings.
Also, her
milk storage capacity which is not the same as the size of her
breast but it really has to do with the amount of
milk - making tissue inside her
breast and that varies mom - to - mom.
While you and I will make the same amount of
milk within a 24 hour period, we actually have different
storage capacities in our
breasts.
If you are a mother with a smaller
milk storage capacity (this isn't necessarily related to the size of your
breasts) or if you have a medical condition such as PCOS, Diabetes, Insufficient Glandular Tissue or Thyroid conditions that may make your
milk supply more fragile, night feeds may need to continue for many months for you to maintain your
milk supply and for your baby to thrive.
This increased
milk volume can exceed the
storage capacity of the
breast and cause fluid leakage into the surrounding tissue, which results in swelling and pain.
o Massage your
breasts every day, so that your
milk storage capacity also increases.
Quantitative measurements were made of relative
breast volume and
milk production from 1 month of lactation until 3 months after weaning, and the
storage capacity...
Breast storage capacity is the amount of
milk your
breasts contain in your
milk - making glands at their fullest point of the day.
Not all
breast milk storage bags are created equal, it is important to consider some important factors, such as whether they are compatible with your pump, freezer and / or fridge
storage capability,
capacity, special features of the bag, and also affordability.
This is in part because if their mother has a small «
breast storage capacity» and tries to sleep train her baby, her
milk production will slow, along with her baby's growth.
With frequent feeds, good positioning, great latch, and an understanding of
breast storage capacity, engorgement is not normally a problem in the early days and it signals a healthy
milk supply.
To understand how your
breast storage capacity might affect pumping
milk yields, see the infographic at: http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/blog/2014/1/17/infographic-on-
breast-
storage-
capacity.html For more on both breastfeeding and pumping, download the Breastfeeding Solutions smartphone app (links at: http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/app-support/).
Her
storage capacity: Some women have greater
milk -
storage capacity, and their babies may be able to go longer between feedings without affecting the volume of
milk; women with smaller «containers» may suffer in terms of supply if their
breasts aren't emptied more often.